Lost All Hope
by TankGirl93
Summary: Alyssa witnesses a horrible event at her house that sends her in search of her mother and brother, but she is captured by a group of survivors where she seem is abused and eventually loses all hope in people in this "New World". Can someone free her and prove there is still humanity left in a world like this. Sorry for the horrible summary The story with hopeful be much better.
1. Chapter 1

Crunch *Groan* Snap *Groan* Smack-smack

Alyssa opened her eyes at the sickening smacking noise coming from beyond her door, figuring it was just her 10 year old brother Jacob trying to gross her out again she turned over and tried to go back to sleep. Her brother had recently started taking a weird fascination with grossing the family out. Her mom and dad had said it was a phase and just to ignore him, while their older brother, Stephen, had found it rather funny as well and began helping Jacob to annoy Alyssa. So much for thinking her 22 year old brother was more mature than that.

Crunch *Groan* Snap *Groan* Smack-smack

Alyssa sat up in bed with an exasperated grunt and threw off her blankets, 'what in the hell do I have to do to make him stop doing that?!' she thought to herself as she got up and shuffled to her door. Turning the lock on her door Alyssa stepped into the hallway ready to smack her two brothers in the head for waking her again. But she wasn't greeted with their snickering faces just with a poorly lit hallway that looked as if a fight had occurred. Pictures were busted on the floor and the hall desk was over turned, 'What the hell?' she thought as she walked slowly into the hall. The walls between her room and Jacobs looked smudged with red hand prints that led toward Jacob's room.

Crunch *Groan* Snap *Groan* Smack-smack

The disgusting chewing noise grew louder as she neared Jacob's door. 'This isn't funny anymore.' She thought as she stared at his door covered in bloody hand prints. "Jacob..." Alyssa said as she slowly pushed open the door. She froze with fear the second she seen Jacob's body face down with a dark haired man chewing on his back. Everything seem to freeze in that moment causing the image of Jacob's mangled little body to imprint itself in her mind along with the image of her father's dead eyes turning up towards her as she opened the door.

"What are you doing to him?!" Alyssa screamed as she looked from Jacob to her father's dead eyes and reddened mouth trying to process what was happening in her mind. Why was he doing this? How could he do this? And why did it have to be little Jacob that suffered? All these questions burned within her as she stepped slowly back from the little boys room. Her father didn't seem to register who she was at all he just stared at her with a sort of bored indifference. Keeping those dead eyes on her he slowly got up letting a piece of flesh hit the floor as he shuffled toward his daughter. A mix of disgust, fear, and sadness rolled through her as she backed out of the small room away from her father "Stay away from me!" she said too late as her father lunged at her knocking her back onto some broken picture frames causing glass to embed into her back, Alyssa barely even noticed the stinging shards of glass in her back as she focused all her energy on pushing her father's snapping jaw away from her face.

Groaning under the weight of her father, Alyssa tried desperately to keep him from reaching her with his teeth. Looking side to side trying to find something, anything that might help her she settled her eyes on a long shard of broken mirror that reflected the horrible scene. Figuring she may only have one chance Alyssa pushed with the last little bit of energy and settled the weight on her left forearm as her right one reached for the shard of glass. The glass sliced opened her hand as she gripped it and without a delay, or second thought she sent the shard of glass straight threw her father's left eye. Suddenly as if a switch was flipped off her father became still and lifeless with his mouth still dangling open and his one dead eye forever staring at her causing her to quickly push his crushing weight off of her. The room now became almost deafeningly quiet as Alyssa sat shaking with her hands bleeding and outstretched, and gasping for breath. 'That's not possible, this whole situation isn't possible.' She thought to herself over and over staring at the lifeless body of her father, hoping that this was all some weird sick dream that she would wake up from at any moment. But even through her denying she knew that everything was real, the stinging cuts on her back and hand were real, her killing her own father was real, and her father killing and eating poor little Jacob was real.

At the thought of Jacob she turned her attention back to the room that held his body causing her to cry and mutter his name in between sobs, 'I'm so sorry this happened to you Jacob.' She thought as she saw what looked like bloody dragging hand prints at his closet door, he had been trying to run and hide when he was attacked. As that realization passed through her a new wave of tears assaulted her eyes, "You must have been so scared…" She said turning her gaze away from his room not able to look at the gory scene any longer. While Alyssa turned her gaze from his room she heard a soft groaning noise making her flinch and hold her breath, 'is he not dead?!' she thought looking down at her unmoving father with fear. Letting her breath go slowly as she seen the noise wasn't coming from him, 'who else could…' her eyes widened before she finished her thought, 'mom and Stephen!' In all this commotion Alyssa had forgotten all about her mother and older brother. 'What if they are the same as dad? What if dad killed them too?' frantic thoughts kept her busy as she slowly stood with her eyes flashing between the stairs leading to the living room and her brother and parents doors. The groaning sounded again while she backed toward her room with her good hand feeling for the knob to her door. When her gaze went back to her brother, Stephens, room she noticed something move in her peripheral vision causing her to snap her head back toward Jacob's room.

Alyssa could not believe her eyes, Jacob's body twitched and suddenly started to slowly stand up 'this can't be happening' she thought as Jacob turned to face her revealing the same dead look as her father had. Putting her hand on her door knob the same time Jacob started shuffling toward her baring his teeth Alyssa slid into her room and locked the door back. "No. That can't be." She said to the door as she backed away from it, flinching when she heard her brother smack into it. More questions than answers seemed to keep popping up for Alyssa causing her head to start to ache as she tried to figure out what to do about this insane situation. Shock seemed to be settling in her as she sat back on her bed and listened to her little brother, or what use to be her brother, bang and groan at her door. 'I have to get help. I have to report this to the police or something.' The thought crossing her mind as she picked up her cell phone and dialed 911 but all that she heard was the busy signal. Trying five more times Alyssa eventually threw her phone in aggravation, "What do I do now…"

Tears welled in her eyes as a sudden feeling of helplessness came over her. She never really felt this way before, her father had always taught her and her brothers to take care of themselves, to never feel trapped by a situation they thought impossible, and to always fight no matter what. But her father never exactly trained her for a situation of this magnitude. His lessons were more on how to live off the land, how to find your way out of the woods that surrounded the farm, and how to protect yourself against an attacker, not how to kill your own loved ones because they became crazed and attacked you. Putting her tear stricken face into her hands she wished she knew what to do, and wishing she had someone to turn to.

When she seemed to get all her tears out and she seemed to calm down enough to think rationally Alyssa began to plan what to do next. First she needed to make sure her car was close to the back porch. When she got to her window to look down at the yard she noticed her car was a little ways away from the porch, about a car length away. When she turned around to get some of her things gathered she snapped her head back towards the window noticing something she overlooked. Her brother's car was gone. "They got away." She said to herself figuring that either her brother or both her brother and mother were still alive. Turning back to previous task she picked up her backpack, silently thanking God that she had bought a big one, and started to stuff clothes into it and a picture of her family. 'Okay all I need now is some water and food' her thought was interrupted by a loud bang and groan from her door as she remembered that she still had to figure out what to do with her brother. Alyssa didn't think she could bring herself to kill her little brother the way she did her dad, but she really didn't see another way she was going to get past him and down the stairs. Looking around her room all she could see as a weapon was her baseball bat, which made a sick feeling creepy its way to her stomach. 'I can't do this to him…' she thought as she turned away from the door leading to her brother, 'I have to find a better way.' Scanning the room one more time her eyes fell on her bathroom door, a smile forming on her face as she realized she would not have to kill him after all.

Her bathroom adjoined with Jacob's room which gave her the great idea to lock him in his room to keep her safe and to save his 'life'. Opening her side to the bathroom door Alyssa walked to Jacob's side and peeked inside making sure the coast was clear before she started to lure him into his room. "Jacob! Come here!" she yelled as she looked through the door to make sure he was coming to her. A few seconds later Jacob slowly shuffled through his door and started towards his sister. Alyssa backed into the bathroom still saying his name making sure he got further into the room. As finally reached the bathroom door Alyssa took one last look at her brother and said, "I'm sorry Jacob. I love you." Before closing the door and locking it. Alyssa leaned against the door for a brief second before heading back to the hallway trying to avoid looking at her father's bloody body on the floor and heading to Jacob's door shutting it. As she turned around to head down the stairs Alyssa stopped suddenly and thought to herself, 'What if there are more of them out there.' She looked down at her baseball bat weighing her odds as to how good of a weapon that would be with more of those people, she decided it wasn't very good odds.

Going back up the stairs she knew where her father kept his guns and ammunition but she quickly realized that her father always kept the key to the gun cabinet on him. She finally looked at her father's lifeless body not wanting to touch him or be near him, but knew it was her only option. With a shaking hand Alyssa leaned over her father's body and put her hand in his pocket desperately trying to hurry. Finally she found the key in his right pocket and scurried away from him. Steadying her nerves she went into her parent's room and unlocked the gun cabinet and made sure they were loaded she put her father's 9mm handgun in in the back of her waistband, and grabbed the .308 rifle. Making sure she had enough ammo she finally headed downstairs to the kitchen and packed some food and some water. Alyssa didn't know if she would actually need any of the stuff she packed, she didn't even know if whatever happened to her father had even affected the rest of the town. She kept thinking she was over reacting with all the provisions she packed but something deep down told her she needed to be safe than sorry.

Finally having everything she could carry Alyssa walked out her back door to the sun setting low in the sky and an eerie silence that made her feel on edge. She walked to her car slowly with the rifle in her tense arms ready to fire if needed. Keeping her eyes fixed on the tree line expecting Alyssa reached her car and without thought pulled at her door handle making the alarm go off and causing her to jump and fire her gun off accidentally. "Damn it!" she said frustrated she didn't remember she locked the car and for forgetting that you never keep your finger on the trigger unless you are prepared to shoot. Setting the gun against her car she dug the keys from her pocket and stopped the blaring car alarm. Sighing, Alyssa picked her gun up and started to get into her car when she noticed something in the tree line advancing toward her. A man with torn clothes limped toward her causing her to aim the gun in his direction, "Stop right there." She yelled but he didn't stop he continued advancing. As she aimed at him she saw another figure appear a few feet away from him heading in the same direction, and soon another followed and another, and another until she counted about 8 people shuffling toward her house.

Alyssa couldn't believe her feeling had been right, "What the fuck is happening?" she said as she stared in shock at how many people seemed to be infected. 'How did they make it all the way out here town is about 10 miles from here.' She thought to herself as she quickly got into her car and locked the door as the first man approached her car and beat on her window. Looking into that too familiar face, dead eyes, pale veiny face, and snapping teeth she couldn't help but let fear fill her as she wondered if there was anyone else still alive, and if there was would she be able to find them. Starting her car Alyssa averted her teary eyes and speed off out of the drive way to the dirt road that lead to the small town she hoped held some signs of life within it and possible answers as to what was going on.

**A/N Sorry it's so long winded And I plan on it being a Daryl/OC story and I have a very good plot to lead up to it I just wanted to show a kind of back story for the main character before I put them together. Please review and let me know what you think and if I should keep going or not! Please and Thank You xoxo**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N I'm so it took me so long to update; I had my nephew and sister over. But I tried to get this out as fast as possible. And I want to give a big that you to my very first commenter . Thank you very much and I'm glad you enjoy it! **

Chapter 2

Speeding down the dirt road Alyssa didn't care how fast she was going she just needed to get to town. In her mind if she could get to town everything would essentially be alright. The police would have things under control with an explanation of bad meat, or some kind of treatable virus, or even an unlikely case of a crazed group on bath salts, something anything that would explain all this. And hopefully her mother and older brother, Stephen, were there waiting. At the thought of them she felt a slight feeling of hurt and anger that they had left without her and her little brother.

"How could they just leave us like that?" she said to herself picturing her little brothers' poor little bloodied body. 'They were probably just scared.' She thought, feeling guilty for even thinking they would intentionally leave her and her brother behind.

Deep in her thoughts Alyssa barely noticed how she had picked up more speed and she didn't have any time to slow down for her sharp right turn causing her to slam on the breaks and jerk the wheel.

"Shit!" she yelled as the car began to fishtail on the loose gravel road causing her to over correct and land her front tires in the ditch while her back tires had locked up and skidded around the car to hit the ditch causing the car to flip on its' top. The whole time Alyssa gripped the wheel in both hands, causing her knuckles to turn bone white causing the cut on her hand to bleed more, and instead of shutting her eyes she just stared out at the spinning world watching as the trees blurred together causing her stomach to do little flips and her head to swim. Then as the car rolled her head snapped to the driver's window with a nasty crack as the window busted leaving a burning sensation as blood began to slowly pour from the wound. When everything finally stopped and silenced settled in Alyssa loosened her grip from the wheel and let out a long breath she didn't realize she was holding.

Thankfully she had been wearing her seatbelt so she was still strapped upside down, which really wasn't helping her excruciating head ache. Alyssa tried to unbuckle herself but her buckle seemed to have jammed against the door when the car rolled leaving her unable to reach it. Looking around the car for something sharp her vision began to get fuzzy and the urge to sleep pulled at her eyelids.

"Come on Alyssa, stay awake. You have to get down" trying to keep herself awake as she searched more frantically. Finding nothing she had resigned herself to trying to pick the biggest piece of glass she could find, but when her head had hit the window it shattered the glass. Alyssa's head began to throb from either the blood rushing to her head or the fact that she had a gash on her forehead either way she knew she only had a short amount of time until she passed out.

Fear started to set into Alyssa as her vision became worse and her breathing picked up causing her chest to start to constrict, she was starting to panic and worry she may die because hardly anyone used this road and now that this epidemic happened she knew there would be no one around to save her. Crying Alyssa couldn't control her mind as she saw her father and her little brothers faces again thinking of how she could at least find solace in the fact that she wouldn't have to become like them. Suddenly like a switch being flicked on Alyssa remembered that the day before she had argued with her father about keeping a knife on her at all times after an incident at her college, but she hadn't wanted to and ended up throwing it into her glove box to appease her father.

Leaning towards the glove box as far as her seat belt would allow Alyssa carefully opened it holding the lid stead so as to not spill all the contents. As she opened it further pieces of paper started to fall past her hand slowly emptying as she went. Finally the knife fell into her palm with a plop. She now silently thanked her father for taking the time to actually worry about her and provided her with it. She pulled the leather sheath off of the 4in quarter moon blade with a trigger grip and braced herself for the fall as she sliced the seat belt with ease.

Falling from her seat she lay prone for a moment letting the blood leave her head and let her body rest for a moment as she breathed slowly trying desperately to settle her stomach. Just as her stomach started to settled the quiet was suddenly interrupted by a familiar groan and shuffling causing her to tense her muscles and grip her knife harder. Bending her head towards the window she narrowed her eyes in the woods searching for the thing that made the noise, then out of nowhere she saw four pair of legs walking towards her.

Trying to control her breathing she turned onto her stomach trying to make as little noise as possible but the glass and paper was making this impossible. Still the gripping the knife tightly in her right hand she slowly reaching her hand to the back of her waistband for the gun she had placed there earlier she planned to fight her way out of the car if need be. But when her hand went to the spot she had placed it she only touched skin. It had fallen out sometime between the car crash and her falling from the seat. As the pairs of legs started to get closer Alyssa didn't chance wasting time looking for the gun she had to get out of there now. Getting up on her hands and knees she had to steady herself and stop from falling back down as a wave of nausea and pain came over her, 'I'm not going to be able to run anywhere.' She thought as she touched her hand to her aching head covered in blood.

Breathing slowly to try and keep from throwing up and crying at the same time Alyssa slowly crawled to her backseat where her seat folded down to the trunk knowing it wasn't the greatest idea but it was better than running into the woods with a head wound and four of those things chasing you. As she tried to shimmy her wide hips in between the front seat and passenger she pushed with her feet on the dented dashboard and steering wheel as she reached for the pull tab to open the secret hatch. Just as she pulled on the small tab her feet slipped and hit the horn making her jump and whip her head towards the things outside that were now focused on her car.

Wasting no time she scrambled into the small opening banging her head as she slipped inside and turned herself around to close the hatch. Just as she swung the seat closed she saw the dead face of one of those things as it crawled into the car looking at her. For a split second it was quiet and all Alyssa could her was the pounding of her heart in her ears, then she heard groaning and scratching through the seat she just went through. Clutching the only weapon she had Alyssa's breathing picked up again as she feared the monsters being able to get in there and harm her.

The pain in her head upgraded from the throbbing ache to an unbearable pulse as she felt blood slowly makes it way down her face. Knowing she needed to stop the bleeding she juggled the knife in her hands, not wanting to let it go, as she ripped of the bottom half of her shirt and rapped it around her head.

'I'm going to die inside my trunk with those things outside.' She thought to herself as the others started banging and moving the car creating a slight rocking motion making her will to sleep even stronger. The fact that those things were trying to get to her mixed with the head injury and the blood loss Alyssa knew she shouldn't fall asleep, but the rocking of the car and the adrenaline rush leaving her body causing her to feel more and more pain throughout her body she found it hard to resist.

'I hope I'm still unconscious when they get in here and start eating me' she thought as her eyes drooped lower and lower until finally her head lolled back and she fell into a deep sleep filled with horrific images of her family as those things and tearing her apart.

**A/N Please leave a comment on what you think and thank you so much for reading!**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Bang!...Bang!...Bang!...Bang!

The loud sound of gunshots woke Alyssa up as her body jerked at each one, 'What the…' it took her a second to realize where she was and what had happened to her, but when she tried to sit up she ended up banging her already aching head on the carpet of the trunk causing her to reach her hand up and grab the blood dried cloth that wrapped her head. Her whole body ached as she tried to look around in the dark trunk catching a sliver of light coming from in-between the backseat she crawled through.

"Hershel I think I heard something in there!"

A woman's voice sounded causing Alyssa to jump in surprise. Someone was outside, Someone Alive. Quickly so as not to miss her chance Alyssa pushed against the back of the seat she had crawled through to try and get to the woman who spoke, but it wouldn't budge. 'Oh please tell me this opens up from this side!' she thought as she pushed again and again but with no avail. Figuring her legs would be stronger she positioned herself with her hands on the trunk opening and her feet at the back of the seat. With all of her might she pushed and kicked the door making a tremendous amount of noise but only getting it open a fraction of the way, either the seat was stuck or something was blocking her way.

"Ah! Hershel there is someone back there! They're tryin' to get out!" The woman spoke again sounding frightened at the noise Alyssa was making in the trunk.

"Step back away from the car Annette" this one came from a man, by the sound of his voice he was an older man.

When Alyssa heard the words leave the man's mouth she panicked thinking she was never going to get out of this trunk, "Please help me!" she screamed through the small opening she had made, when she did though she caught a rank odor coming from the back of the car causing her to look through the opening and stare at the crazed person from last night wedge into the backseat. She looked closer and seen a large hole in the back of the things head displaying all the blood and brains sprayed on her backseat. Backing away from the putrid sight Alyssa leaned back on her aching arms and positioned her feet to kick the back seat again, "Please let me out!" she screamed while kicking the seat earning another terrified scream from the woman.

"Annette! Quite down before more of them people show up. And you!" the man said kicking the trunk of the car making Alyssa stop and listen, "Are you bit?"

Sweat soaked Alyssa's clothes as she answered him, "No! Please let me out!" panting the words as the heat and her fear mixed together causing her to panic feeling as if the inside of the truck was closing in on her. "I can't breathe in here. Please!" her voice pleaded sounded pathetic and dry to her own ears, making her hope it would make them feel pity for her.

Instead of an answer all Alyssa heard was quieted arguing coming from the pair outside. Only able to catch little bits of the argument she gathered that the woman, Annette, wanted to leave her here because she was scared they wouldn't make it back to their home without attracting more of the crazed people. While the man, Hershel, didn't want to leave her saying it was cruel and inhuman of them, that they should at least try to help her.

All of Alyssa's struggling and heavy breathing had caused the trunk to become even more hot and stuffy making her panic even more causing her to start kicking the backseat again desperately trying to get out of the trunk fearing they would never come to a conclusion or worse that they would leave her here.

"You have to calm down or you will pass out from the heat and lack of oxygen!" Hershel yelled into the trunk trying to make Alyssa stop, but his words only fueled her need to escape causing her to cry with each kick as she felt her body ache from the day before and her actions now.

"Damn it, we have to get her out of there." Hershel said but Alyssa barely even registered he said anything at all as she continued kicking her legs causing fire to run through her muscles and chest with each movement and breath. The sensible part of her mind told her to stop what she was doing, to listen to Hershel that he was going to get her out of here. While the more irrational, and dominant, part of her mind screamed for her to take action, to do whatever it took to get out of this trunk.

With no warning given the trunk gave way underneath Alyssa letting her fall backwards and knock her head against the ground as she rolled out of the trunk. Lying still on the soft ground with her eyes scrunched closed at the glaring sun she gulped greedily at the fresh air trying to soothe her burning lungs, all but forgetting about the people who released her from the trunk.

"Hershel! There's more of 'em coming!" Annette harshly whispered from somewhere to the right of Alyssa, she couldn't see where they were around her yet as her eyes had not adjusted to being in the light. Suddenly out of thin air she felt a rough pair of hands touch her sweaty, bloodied head turning it from right to left, "She doesn't seem to be bit, but I can check better when we get home. Can you get up by yourself?" Hershel asked her trying to pull her up in a sitting motion.

Squinting up towards the older man Alyssa couldn't tell if he was real or if she was hallucinating. The light around him seem to shine brightly as if it was angelic and his face looked worried but his eyes looked down at her in a sort of sadness that suggested she was dying. Wanting to do as he asked she tried sitting up gripping his shoulders for support but her muscles and head protested as she fell back to the ground with a soft thud.

Looking back towards him with tears in her eyes she murmured a pathetic, "I'm sorry…" as she started to close her eyes she turned her head away from him not wanting to see feel his sad gaze upon her anymore, but when she turned her head she saw a man limp towards them with his arm missing and part of his mouth gone as well. Feeling Hershel start to pick her up she knew he didn't know what was coming behind him, but before she had time to say anything blackness swallowed her as she heard Annette scream and a gunshot go off…


	4. Chapter 4

A sort of floating feeling came over Alyssa. The pain, at least for the moment, didn't exist. All she felt was a sense of peace wash over her like everything that had happened was just a dream. 'Am I still asleep in my bed?' Trying to make her eyes open proved to be a difficult task along with trying to move her limbs. 'Am I dead?' The lack of feeling and movement was beginning to make her believe she was actually dead, 'Then where is my family at?' as she tried to think of her family, but they were nowhere to be found instead there was a man looking down at her with a slight smile on his face. His face was still surrounded by a bright light leading her to the conclusion of a divine figure, 'Hey! I remember you! You saved me from my car and those people.' She thought to herself even though his name slipped her mind she smiled and tried talking to the man.

"Th-th-a-ank Y-y-ou" her voice came out in a sort of whispered croak making her brow furrow as she wondered why she felt a slight pain in the back of her throat and why her voice would sound like that if she were actually dead and hopefully in heaven.

"Shh now you need to rest girl. It's alright you're safe now." His voice was gentle and reassuring wrapping her in a blanket of calm. But as she was just about to nod to him she felt a sudden sharp pain in her forehead causing her to wince and suck in a sharp breath. 'What was that?' she thought as she looked at the man with a pained look as another sharp sting started at her head again causing her eyes to start watering.

As the pain became more and more frequent and stronger the white haze slowly lifted from around the man's face and he was no longer smiling at her but seemed deep in concentration. When the haze completely lifted and the pain had now turned into a roaring fire, Alyssa's sense of floating and peace quickly went away and was replaced by an old worn mattress beneath her with springs poking her back in uncomfortable ways and her arms and legs still had become too painful to move on a count of the extreme soreness and stiffness that plagued her entire body, but as the pain became more than she could bare she ignored the protest from her muscles and began to reach towards her head to try and stop the pain but before she could touch her head the man grabbed her wrists and pulled them back down restraining her arms.

"Just calm down now. I'm stitchin' that cut on your forehead." He said in a soft voice trying to soothe her panicked mind as she pulled against his grasp but couldn't budge him an inch. The stinging sensation had stopped when he had grabbed her but the pain in her forehead still radiated making her wish for the feeling a moment ago, what she thought death would feel like.

"Annette, Maggie come in here and help me." The man said towards the open door causing two frightened looking women to come in and look between Alyssa and him.

"Is she okay Hershel?" the older woman said as she stepped closer to the bed Alyssa was lying on and taking her left hand intertwining their fingers and rubbing Alyssa's arm reassuringly while keeping her grip with the other. "She don't look so good." The woman said speaking to Hershel but staring down at Alyssa's pained tear stained face.

"My head hurts! Please make it stop!" Alyssa began to plead with them as she shifted her eyes between Hershel and the older woman, who she figured was his wife.

"I know it does sweetie just hold on. Maggie I need you to go get my bag and get me those painkillers." He said looking sternly towards Maggie who never said a word but just nodded and quickly left the room. "When she comes back I'm going to give you a shot that will ease the pain so I can finish sewing up that cut on your forehead. It won't put you to sleep though so you will just have to bear with me." Alyssa didn't like the sound of that, she hated needles and she hated stitches but she really didn't have any choice in the matter. 'At least I won't feel it' she thought to herself as another wave of fire ran across her scalp.

Maggie returned with a syringe and a small glass jar that Hershel quickly took releasing Alyssa's other hand for Maggie to take. "Okay here we go." He spoke in a soothing voice as he filled the syringe and poked Alyssa's arm.

"We'll wait a few minutes while the pain killers go to work then I'm going to finish." Grabbing Alyssa's shoulder reassuringly.

Alyssa laid there gripping the women's hands as she waited for the medicine to take affect and cease the pain radiating from her head. Tears stained her face as she looked helplessly towards Hershel silently willing the medicine to work faster so this whole thing could be done and over with. Just as she was about to whine to him about it not working she felt her muscle start to relaxing and a tingling sensation to run through her body stopping any pain or soreness. Her hands loosened in Annette and Maggie's grip, and her face softened giving Hershel the signal to finish what he had started.

Once he bent over her head she braced for the stinging sensation again but instead she only felt a slight tugging as he worked to close the gash. As he worked Alyssa stayed as still as possible, not wanting to make his job any harder than she already had. So instead of focusing on the fact that she had a needle going through her skin, which thoroughly freaked her out, she stared out the window on the far side of the room thinking about everything that had happened to her in just a few days becoming more confused about that situation and determined to find her mother and older brother, praying that if she did find them that they would still be alive.

About an hour and half later Hershel had sewed, cleaned, and bandaged Alyssa up as best he could. Maggie and Annette helped as best they could following Hershel's advice but after a while they no longer needed to help him or keep Alyssa busy so they ended up leaving the elder man to his job.

"Well you should heal up nicely." Hershel groaned as he stood up from a slightly crouched position, "But you may have a few scars on your hands and your head."

"I'm not worried about a few scars." Alyssa answered him trying to sit up in bed. "I care about getting to town and finding the rest of my family." As she sat up the room began to swim and her stomach lurched almost causing her to throw up. Before she could sit all the way up she felt Hershel's hand on her shoulder pushing her back.

"You need to rest up and let your body heal." Alyssa didn't try to argue as he pushed her tired and sore body back on the mattress. Clearly the pain medicine was starting to slowly wear off as pain slowly creeped back into her body. Hershel looked down at her with a sad look in his eyes as he pulled the blankets up over her, "And I'll talk to you about town in the morning. Now you go ahead and sleep while I clean up my mess."

Alyssa's brow furrowed at the look he gave her when he spoke about town, 'What isn't he telling me?' she thought to herself getting ready to question him but as she settled into the bed sleep started to weigh on her making her eyes feel very heavy.

As she started to dose off she watched Hershel leave the room closing the door completely behind him. Thoughts of finding her family safe in the town with an explanation of what was going on and how everything was going to be okay started to fill her thoughts, 'I'll just stay here until I'm able to get to town then everything will be alright. There is a perfect explanation for everything that happened and a solution to fix it.' Alyssa closed her eyes letting hopeful thoughts lull her to sleep.

"Is she going to be alright Hershel?" a hushed woman's voice interrupted Alyssa's sleep making her listen to the whispered voices closer.

"Yea she'll be fine Annette." He sighed to the woman sounding slightly sad and worried to Alyssa's ears.

"What is it? What's wrong?'

"She's doesn't know what happened in town. She thinks her family is there. And she wants to go there and find them"

"Oh! Hershel we can't let her go!" Annette said in a shocked sad voice. "We have to tell her what happened."

"I will sweetie, but she needs to sleep now." A deep sigh left him, "I'll talk to her tomorrow. There is no sense in upsetting her tonight."

With that Alyssa heard them walk away leaving her to her troubled thoughts as to what they were talking about, 'What would upset me? Why couldn't he tell me before he left?' an uneasy feeling settled in the pit of her stomach making sleep hard to come by as she tossed and turned unable to get comfortable between her whirring thoughts and her sore body.

The next morning there was a knock at Alyssa's door making her turn over, "Y-yes." She croaked clearing her scratchy throat trying to sit up in bed.

"Good morning. I figured you might be hungry and quite thirsty" said Hershel coming through the door carrying a plate of eggs and bacon and a glass of water. "Are you feeling better?" he asked setting the plate on the nightstand next to her and giving her the water.

Greedily gulping down the water Alyssa's throat felt better and less scratchy as she answered him, "I'm feeling much better." It wasn't completely the truth and she was starving but ever since she had eavesdropped on his conversation last night all she wanted to do was talk to him. "I was wanting to ask you about last night." She said staring down at her empty glass feeling nervous and slightly scared.

"Of course…" he said letting his sentence hang as he brought a wooden chair closer to the bed and sat down, "I'm sorry I never did get to ask your name through everything that happened last night."

"Alyssa. Alyssa Thom." She said looking up towards him continuing with her question, "What did you mean last night when you said there was nothing left in town?"

Hershel smiled sadly at her as he looked from her to the floor, "Well it's nice to meet you Alyssa. I didn't know you could hear us last night but I guess this makes it a little more easier."

Alyssa waited for him to continue as she nervously played with the glass in her hands fearing what he had to say.

"The town was over run quickly with…" he paused seeming to look for the right words, "Those crazy people and many people died." He said looking back towards her probably gauging her reaction as he went on, "And those who were more fortunate left."

Alyssa sat silently as she let the information settle in her mind, "But what about the police? Or the Army? Or the National Guard? Didn't someone stay and help people?" she said in disbelief that everyone had either fled or died. 'Someone had to of stayed and helped' she thought to herself.

"The police tried to evacuate people when the outbreak first happened but like I said most of the people died. And as far as I know there has been no help from the army or anybody. My guess is they went to the larger cities to try and contain as much as possible."

"Well you never know maybe my mom and brother made it to town and-and…" She couldn't finish her sentence as she thought about the likely hood of them actually making it there and fighting their way out to the bigger cities or even holding up in a building, not very likely at all. The pain of the realization showed clearly on Alyssa's face as she turned her head from Hershel not wanting him to look at her and see her cry again.

Hershel saw her reaction and took it as she needed time alone so he got up from his chair and walked to her bedside putting his hand on her shoulder and squeezed lightly, "Alyssa I'm very sorry that I had to tell you this and I understand you're going to need some time to figure everything out and you are more than welcome to stay here as long as you want." With a finally squeeze of her shoulder he let go and walked to the door and closed it behind him as he left her to cry by herself.

**A/N Sorry for the long absence and for the mediocre chapter but I have been super busy and it's been really hard for me to find time to write and keep my train of thought so sorry the next chapter should hopefully be better. Again sorry! Please Favorite and Comment!**


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